Methods of removing polymers from treatment fluids for use in subterranean formations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370676-B2
Application number	US-201916703793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2019
Priority date	Dec 4, 2019
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

Methods for removing polymers from treatment fluids for use in subterranean formations are provided. In one or more embodiments, the methods include providing a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and a polymer comprising polyvinylpyrrolidone or a derivative thereof; and adding a precipitant to the treatment fluid to form a precipitate with at least a portion of the polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and a polymer comprising polyvinylpyrrolidone or a derivative thereof, wherein the treatment fluid was used to treat at least a portion of a subterranean formation; and
adding a precipitant to the treatment fluid to form a precipitate with at least a portion of the polymer, wherein the precipitate is formed outside of the subterranean formation.

2. The method 1 further comprising separating at least a portion of the precipitate from the aqueous base fluid.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
adding one or more additives to the aqueous base fluid after the portion of the precipitate has been separated from the aqueous base fluid to form a second treatment fluid; and
introducing the second treatment fluid into at least a portion of the subterranean formation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has a molecular weight greater than 6,000 g/mol.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a sonication technique or a cavitation technique to at least a portion of the treatment fluid.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sonication technique or the cavitation technique is applied before adding the precipitant to the fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precipitant is selected from the group consisting of: a polyphenolic compound having at least two hydroxy groups, a dihydroxyphenolic compound, zinc bromide, zinc chloride, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, and any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment fluid further comprises solids, and wherein the method further comprises separating or removing at least a portion of the solids from the treatment fluid.

9. A method comprising:
providing a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and one or more polymers comprising polyvinylpyrrolidone or a derivative thereof, wherein the treatment fluid was used to treat at least a portion of a subterranean formation;
breaking at least a portion of the one or more polymers by applying at least one of a sonication technique, a cavitation technique, and a chemical breaker;
adding a precipitant to the treatment fluid; and
allowing the precipitant to form a precipitate with the one or more polymers, wherein the precipitate is formed outside of the subterranean formation.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the precipitant is added to the treatment fluid before breaking the portion of the one or more polymers.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the precipitant is added to the treatment fluid after breaking the portion of the one or more polymers.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising separating at least a portion of the precipitate from the aqueous base fluid.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
adding one or more additives to the aqueous base fluid after the portion of the precipitate has been separated from the aqueous base fluid to form a second treatment fluid; and
introducing the second treatment fluid into at least a portion of the subterranean formation.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the precipitant is selected from the group consisting of: a polyphenolic compound having at least two hydroxy groups, a dihydroxyphenolic compound, zinc bromide, zinc chloride, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, and any combination thereof.

15. A method comprising:
providing a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid and one or more polymers comprising polyvinylpyrrolidone or a derivative thereof, wherein the treatment fluid was used to treat at least a portion of a subterranean formation;
adding a precipitant to the treatment fluid to form a precipitate with the one or more polymers, wherein the precipitate is formed outside of the subterranean formation; and
separating at least a portion of the precipitate from the aqueous base fluid.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising applying a sonication technique or a cavitation technique to at least a portion of the treatment fluid.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the treatment fluid further comprises solids, and wherein the method further comprises separating or removing at least a portion of the solids from the treatment fluid.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
adding one or more additives to the aqueous base fluid after the portion of the precipitate has been separated from the aqueous base fluid to form a second treatment fluid; and
introducing the second treatment fluid into at least a portion of the subterranean formation.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the precipitant is selected from the group consisting of: a polyphenolic compound having at least two hydroxy groups, a dihydroxyphenolic compound, zinc bromide, zinc chloride, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, and any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• May Preston Andrew
• Zhou Hui
• Shumway William Walter

Classifications

• C02F1/5272 Primary

  using specific organic precipitants · CPC title

• C02F1/5254

  using magnesium compounds and phosphoric acid for removing ammonia · CPC title

• C02F1/36

  ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• C09K8/88

  macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C02F1/5236

  using inorganic agents · CPC title